Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Sure, I like to dabble in making kitty Valentines and tiny cat hats, but when it comes to fancy paper projects, Tara Bliven of Ephemera Liberated Letterpress is a true pro!She started her company in 2006 after acquiring her first printing press, and now spends her time making gorgeous letterpress stationery while also running a blog/mail art exchange called The Elevated Envelope.

But what does this all have to do with cats?Tara recently combined her passion for her work and for animals by creating The Surprise Seasonal Stationery Subscription.I'll let her tell you more about it in her own words:HOW IT WORKS:You subscribe to whichever seasons tickle your fancy for $25 each. When spring, summer, fall, or winter arrive, so does $25 worth of quirky, original, animal-themed letterpress stationery (right to your mailbox).

AND THAT’S NOT ALL:At Ephemera, we are really into mail art. So the envelope your items arrive in will be just as artful and surprising as its contents.BUT ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???Ephemera is donating 50% of the profit from each subscription to a different animal welfare-related charity each season!WHICH CHARITIES?Our goal is to raise and donate $4000 in 2013 ($1000 for each of the following Western Washington organizations):SPRING: Purrfect Pals Cat ShelterSUMMER: Pigs Peace SanctuaryFALL: Pasado’s Safe HavenWINTER: Old Dog HavenThe charity involved will give you a hint as to each season's envelope design and contents, but that will be the only hint…HURRY!The Spring edition is shipping out March 14, and due to the handmade nature and labor-intensity of the project, subscriptions are very limited. Get yours before it sells out!

Enter To Win!Tara has generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to win a SPRING Surprise Stationery Subscription from Ephemera Liberated Letterpress! Since the spring charity is Purrfect Pals Cat Shelter, this means that your surprise stationery delivery will be packed with some beautiful feline-themed surprises!To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name, and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.) The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Tuesday, February 19 at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please.Good luck, and be sure to check out Ephemera Liberated Letterpress for info on how you can subscribe to this cool service for a good cause!(If you have trouble leaving a comment, please email me at catsparella@gmail.com)[Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!]